Speaking

13 December 2011

Peter Brown speaking at TEDxSMU in the Wyly Theater in Dallas, joining a fantastic group of speakers around the theme of DISRUPTION: a discussion of events, discoveries and how they impact us personally and as a community.

23 September 2011

Peter Brown Architects recently facilitated a design planning workshop at Avenues World School. The New York campus of Avenues World School is located in Manhattan's Chelsea Neighborhood.

The workshop, designed to open a diaglog between educators and designers, created a forum for leading educators to talk about what they do and how they envision students, families, and the community using the facility. The discussion was organized into three broad categories.

Planning for 21st Century Students

Integrating Technology into the Design of the School

Furniture and Learning Spaces

Facinating conversations produced ideas that bridge learning and environment. Educators talked about the nature of a library, referencing Louis Kahn's Exeter Library, the nature of student discussions around Harkness Tables, the purpose of meeting together in a digital world, understanding what can only happen when people meet together face to face, integrating collaborative practices, learning from multiple sources, the effects of cultural immersion on learning spaces, and the opportunities of being locatied New Yorks' leading community of artists.

The dialog generated a set of guiding priciples on understanding furniture as the interface between the building and curriculum.

Ideas from the workshop sessions with renowned and talented thinkers form a basis for the furniture selection process at Avenues and will continue resonate in the work around our design studio.

The Avenues NYC campus is the first in a network of locations in the world's leading cities, read more at Avenues World School: What is Avenues?

Begin by thinking Avenues Beijing, Avenues London, Avenues São Paulo, Avenues Mumbai. Think of Avenues as one international school with 20 or more campuses. It will not be a collection of 20 different schools all pursuing different educational strategies, but rather one highly-integrated “learning community,” connected and supported by a common vision, a shared curriculum, collective professional development of its faculty, the wonders of modern technology and a highly-talented headquarters team located in New York City.

Peter Brown was recently invited to San Juan by the American Institute of Architects to share planning and design insights for design and construction teams involved in Puerto Rico's "Schools for the 21st Century" program.

Peter's illustrated presentation, "Learniing Spaces designed to Move" focuses on learning environments that support dynamic teaching and learning in a swiftly moving culture–It only takes a visit to a coffee shop, airport, hotel lobby, computer store, business center or modern office to see the ways that we collaborate, communicate, work and interact in a dynamic world. Students are on the move. Communicating, creating, sharing, playing, and learning at an accelerated pace. At the same time educational organizations are increasingly challenged to connect with a wide spectrum of learners. Schools are looking across the board at curriculum, daily schedules, assessments, technology, partnerships and facilities to create strategies that work for ALL students.

The symposium presention provided an in-depth look at strategies for creating agile learning environments. Over the course of the session, participants explored connections between learning environments and learning: reviewing current thought on creating high performing learning spaces, educational models for reaching multiple learning styles, and planning concepts that allow classrooms to anticipate the needs of learners.

The time in Puerto Rico packed with news interviews, radio programs, and the AIA symposium.

11 November 2010

Just learned this morning that Peter Brown Architects and Ray Bordwell will lead a conversation at Educon 2.3.

Innovations in 21C Learning Spaces.

Educators addressing changing educational paradigms are often confronted with "old school" ideas about learning spaces. This conversation will illustrate how shifts in educational ideas are changing ideas about spaces, and how educators can be involved in shaping innovative space types for 21c learning

The conversation will demonstrate the results of mashing ideas from educators (and risk-takers) around the planet who are focused on creating students equipped for success in our global society. After an introductory presentation, participants will be invited to discuss emerging space types that address 21c skills as well as factors that influence space planning: curriculum, scheduling, staffing, and other practicalities.

This conversation builds upon the combined experience of Ray Bordwell and Peter Brown in creating innovative solutions for schools in the US, while working with leading educators internationally in creating world-class schools from Tokyo, through China and Southeast Asia, to India, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

Educon is an educational conference formatted in a series of conversations to discuss and debate the future of schools, bringing together ideas from practical to big dreams. More Here: Educon 2.3